The Toronto Raptors are reminding NBA fans that style points do not win games. Toronto escaped with a 93-89 win over the Cavaliers in Game 4, making a statement by winning the ugliest game of this year’s postseason.
With the series tied 2-2, Toronto’s immediate focus is finishing off Cleveland. But it is fair to wonder whether this bruising style of basketball could propel the Raptors to a deep playoff run.
Raptors look built for this kind of playoff basketball
If Toronto is able to continue its success against Cleveland and pull off an upset, then either Orlando or Detroit would be waiting in the second round. If that happens, more grind-it-out games like Game 4 could be coming.
That may not be bad news for Toronto.
Detroit and Orlando are both prone to long stretches of offensive droughts, but make up for that with elite defense. Detroit finished with the second-best defensive rating in the league. Orlando finished 13th, though injuries skewed that number. Last season, a healthy Magic team finished second in defensive rating.
The first-round series between the Pistons and Magic has gone exactly how you may expect. Orlando leads the series 2-1. The Magic are scoring 102.7 points per game and the Pistons are scoring 101.3. Teams averaged 115.6 points per game during the regular season.
How will Toronto fare in these low-scoring contests?
The Raptors have shown they do not shy away from defense-first battles. They finished the season with the fifth-ranked defensive rating. In Game 4, the Cavaliers and Raptors combined to score just 182 points, the second-lowest total in a Raptors game this season.
The Raptors front office built this team with this approach in mind. Scottie Barnes is one of the league’s premier defenders and physical presences. RJ Barrett and Collin Murray-Boyles also thrive in a physical brand of basketball.
Toronto has proven it is comfortable in a physical, defense-first game. The question is whether it can beat teams that are equally comfortable playing that way. In the regular season, Toronto went 1-2 against Detroit and 2-1 against Orlando.
No matter the matchup, if Toronto pulls off a first-round upset, expect more low-scoring, ugly games in the second round similar to Game 4. That style may suit the Raptors, and it could be what gives them a real chance to defy expectations this postseason.
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